Graphic: Inside the Sketchbooks of the World's Great Graphic Designers2010 | Graphic: Inside the Sketchbooks of the World's Great Graphic Designers, by Steven Heller and Lita Talarico In this new book from one of the great authorities on graphic design, some 100 of the worlds leading graphic designers open up their private sketchbooks, giving the reader an unparalleled insight into their creative development, design philosophies and visual influences. Samples range from typographical explorations to fully fledged illustration ideas, from scrappy scribbles and eccentric handwriting to photographic collages. Contributors include such world-recognized names as Stefan Sagmeister, Christoph Niemann, Sara Fanelli, Christoph Abbrederis, Shogo Ota, Art Spiegelman, Uwe Loesch, Milton Glaser,...View the rest of this entry.

In Plain English: An interview with design shaman Marc EnglishAbove left: Inside Marc's studio, Austin: Marc has had the Claes Oldenbeg poster hanging since 1985: Artists Call Against U.S. Intervention in Central America. He got the Joe Hill poster in Seattle, at the Left Bank Bookshop.The Clash, OK soda, Brigette Bardot in 'Contempt', and a head from the pinata head collection.
Above right: Wall of Marc's studio, Austin (July 2005): Studio clocks, calendars.View the rest of this entry.

In a Class of Their Own July 2008 | Story by Helen Thompson | Photography by Jeff Stockton |Austin Monthly Austin teachers who had something to say and the students who got the message. Learning is a complicated process and sometimes veers along its own path, serendipitously detouring around what we like to think of as the basics - reading, writing and arithmetic. As teachers return to their classrooms this month, they know what they are supposed to teach, and they know how they want to do it. Students are more unpredictable, and sometimes they come away from a class with lessons that aren't part...View the rest of this entry.

The Good, the Bad, the English & the Deutsch19 June 2008 | Marc Savlov | Austin Chronicle Good? Bad? Definitely not ugly. "I've never seen so many men wasted so badly." -- The Man With No Name "It was a million pounds of fun." -- Austin filmmaker Ron Deutsch "I made the local paper!" -- Austin design shaman Marc English The dust has settled, the six-guns have gone silent, and the sleepy Spanish township of Almeria is once again a sun-drenched seaside paradise, drowsing in the aftermath of what was, by all accounts, the most spectacular Alamo Drafthouse/Rolling Roadshow Summer Tour ever. Alamo founders Tim and Karrie League...View the rest of this entry.

The Portfolio Center InterviewInterview: Angie Sailo | Elaina Winter: Photography At 10 am the PC crowd trickled in the door, the pace leisurely, a slow-moving river of Venti coffees. They were expecting the usual Seminar - someone important, from somewhere far away, clicking slowly and steadily through a PowerPoint presentation, peppered with the occasional joke. Interesting? Yeah, sure. But this near studio week, 10 am might as well be 3 am, and that Starbucks was meant to get them through to the Q&A, past the inevitable first-quarter student's "What inspires you?" question, and on to a working lunch. But Marc English is not...View the rest of this entry.

Art + Commerce: Marc English Design's DIY criteria14 February 2008 | Marc Savlov | Austin Chronicle I've been here plenty of times before, but I still feel the urge to stop and check myself whenever I walk into the studio-cum-office of Marc English Design, because in truth, this sudden border crossing is like stepping out of the everyday and into a more acutely realized reality. This isn't an office; it's a Rorschach test that got caught in the crossfire between Angel Eyes and Tuco. It's the good, the bad, and the ugly-gorgeous, all wrapped up in a single identity, a brand that not only defines the artist...View the rest of this entry.

Art so good, people want to steal itOctober 11, 2007 | Chris Garcia | Austin American-Statesman | Lifestyle That song. We know that song. It's twangy, eerie and iconic, all tangled in a familiar tumbleweed. In those first notes, it conjures desert loneliness and ghosts twisting in southwestern winds. Imagery flies: galloping horses, guns, sweat and dirt - the grandiose mythology of the cowboy and the American West. For people of a certain age, Ennio Morricone's title anthem to "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is a rush to the head. It is also the ring tone on Marc English's cell phone. You hear it bleat...View the rest of this entry.

Where Flavor Was BornJuly 2007 | For our client Chronicle Books, we recently finished designing Where Flavor Was Born: Recipes and Culinary Travels Along the Indian Ocean Spice Route. This just in from chef and author Andreas Viestad: The book reached me this afternoon, and I am so thrilled! It is amazing to see the play between the text, photo and design. We all put a lot of hard work into it - and I think we can all agree that is was well worth it. Thank you all - It makes me want to break into this Cole Porter routine: You're the...View the rest of this entry.

The Fortunate 500The Stars of Austin's Social Universe Austin American Statesman | Thursday, May 10, 2007 Change is inevitable - and our third annual XL Fortunate 500 list is a study in just that. Like the social superstars it profiles, the list is in constant motion. Since the 500 debuted three years ago, Austin's social climate has changed, too, . . . emerging with a sparkling new vibrancy. But one thing that hasn't changed is the criteria for making the list: You still have to be one of Austin's social dynamos. You have to be out on the town. Whatever it is...View the rest of this entry.

Guilt by associationThursday, Apr 05, 2007 David Carson, Where Are You? http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige Notorious no-show David Carson has been the butt of two pretty funny jokes in the last few weeks and we'd be downright irresponsible if we didn't make fun of him, too. First, Debbie Millman vamped on "Design Matters" when Carson cancelled a few weeks ago by reading the transcript of a previous interview and performing a somewhat brilliant intro. We guess it helps to know in advance that there is a very good chance your guest is going to flake. But the Be A Design Group boys seem to be...View the rest of this entry.

High marks for MarcBy Chris Garcia | Austin American Statesman | Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Austin graphic designer Marc English has made these pages before for his innovative and award-winning DVD packages, including the Criterion editions of "Naked," "Slacker" and "Dazed and Confused." Now indie filmmaker Allison Anders ("Gas, Food and Lodging") has come out in a Criterion newsletter effusing about English's innovative design for the "Dazed" package: I LOVE this movie, and always have! And now I get to love it more on this far-out DVD package! The packaging is an artifact to have for keeps: the cover artwork by Marc English...View the rest of this entry.

SXSW Presents talking heads, informed heads, empty heads [October 2006] Last night was working on a slice of pizza outside my fave pie shop, on South Congress, here in Austin. Ran into an amigo, who had been an intern of mine 10 years ago. Had his 5-month old babe in the cradle over his arm, and his wife on the other arm. Good to see them. Speaking of being seen, he'd said "Hey, saw you on TV. We Tivoed you. Will check it out when we come up for air." And the day before, it was a next door neighbor, in...View the rest of this entry.

Judges' Pick, Step Inside Design 100My Own Private Idaho | The Criterion Collection [March | April 2006] Before he launched his design career, Marc English studied music composition and arrangement at the Berklee College of Music. Now the founder of Austin-based Marc English Design, he recently found an unlikely similitude between design and the musical pursuit of his previous life. Speaking about his DVD packaging for Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho, English says: "That's exactly what this was. This was composing and arranging someone else's photography to help tell a story in print that's actually told on film." In fact, there is a...View the rest of this entry.

English speaking in Boston[Boston, September 16, 2005] Austin-based designer Marc English has been invited to host a round-table discussion with a limited number of particpants as part of the bi-annual AIGA conference. The dozen participants will be included on a first-come, first-serve basis, from the 2,500 registered attendees. English will be covering the ups, downs, the whys and hows of his careeer to date, which started in Boston in the 1980s. Also hosting round-table discussions are design icons and standard-bearers Milton Glaser, Massimo Vignelli, Steven Heller, Hank Richardson and John Bielenberg. English has previously served on the board of directors of AIGA, and...View the rest of this entry.

The always sterling, Debbie Millman.

Internet Talk Radio to Host "Bad Boys of Design II" [NEW YORK CITY - Friday 12 August 2005, 3PM eastern] Debbie Millman, president of Sterling Brands, with offices in New York, San Francisco and Singapore, hosts the weekly talk internet talk radio program "Design Matters." This week Debbie will follow up last season's most listened to show "Bad Boys of Design" with a new group of bad boys: Rodrigo Corral, Marc English, Tan Le, Bennett Peji, Felix Sockwell and John Zapolski. Interview Archives ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Millman suggests "Bad boys is a term used to describe a renegade character . . . The father of all [design] things bad boy, is none...View the rest of this entry.

Inspirability: 40 Top Designers Speak Out about What Inspires[June 2005] It's hard for graphic designers to stay inspired when they're constantly working on deadline. Inspirability gives them a fresh look at how to keep those creative fires burning in the real world, with: Interviews with 40 design luminaries, including Stefan Sagmeister, Paula Scher, Milton Glaser and Margo Chase; pictures the designers took of themselves and their offices, as well as samples of their design work; revealing insights into what inspires each designer on a day-to-day basis. For English's contribution, see RANTS. This book offers an original take on one of the most requested topics by graphic designers. ------------------------------...View the rest of this entry.

Take It Personally: Packaging for Indie Classic Slackers5 W's by Matthew Porter [Step Inside Design, November | December 2004] Who Marc English is an acquired taste. Kind of like unfiltered Camels, jalapeno peppers and tequila for breakfast. This writer first got a "taste" of English when I saw and heard him clank into a room at AIGA Austin's infamous Design Ranch wearing more metal and leather than Mad Max while performing a version of that kitsch Kuntry classic, Turkey in the Straw, that made everyone ashamed of themselves. But, like a lot of things you shouldn't have, once you've had a little snort of English, you're kind...View the rest of this entry.

"'Slacker' perfectly captures Generation X"MSNBC REVIEWS by Michael Ventre [September 15, 2004] . . . Also included is a 64-page booklet that includes lots of thoughts, notes and observations from a variety of sources. The booklet is almost as much of a kaleidoscope on filmmaking and the world of "Slacker" as the movie. It's an enjoyable addendum to the "Slacker" experience....View the rest of this entry.

"Hyperbole aside, its by far one of Criterion's most comprehensive and design-savvy releases.""I may live badly, but at least I don't have to work to do it." - actor Charles Gunning, as Hitchhiker Awaiting "True Call" in Slacker Slacker DVD Watch by Marc Savlov [The Austin Chronicle, 10 September, 2004] It's been 14 years in the making, but the film that planted Austin on the topography of the national consciousness has finally arrived on DVD in an appropriately, gloriously bells 'n'whistles package from the Criterion Collection, in an equally gorgeous package courtesy of local design guru Marc English of Marc English Design. Slacker has, in the years since its 1991 release, become...View the rest of this entry.

Tightening the Slack.Austin-Based Marc English Design Tightens the Slack Does Packaging / DVD Menu Design for Slacker, Quintessential Ausitn Indie Film Premiere DVD Film Publisher Criterion releases Richard Linklater's Slacker [AUSTIN, TX - August 15, 2004] One of Austin's leading design firms, Marc English Design, has put their own oblique strategies to work, as DVD publisher The Criterion Collection releases director Richard Linklater's Slacker, the film that put Linklater and Austin on the map of independent filmmaking. While Linklater may be best known for his recent successes Before Sunset (Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy) and School of Rock (Jack Black), it was his...View the rest of this entry.

Illustration for Step Inside Design by the inimitable Marc Burckhardt, of Austin, Texas.

Marc English featured in Fall issue of Step Inside Design magazine[AUSTIN, TX - October 1, 2002] One of Austin's leading designers, of Marc English Design, is featured in the fall issue of a new national magazine for creative professionals, Step Inside Design, which is available now at bookstores, online and in newsstands. According to Marc English, the opportunity to be featured in the top-shelf publication is very rewarding. "There are over 100,000 designers in the U.S. alone," English said. "It's satisfying to see my work featured among other pros I admire and follow. And for a designer to have their work showcased in this way is a great honor." Step...View the rest of this entry.

Catching a Glimpse of Texas Writers Month 2002by Shawn Badgley [The Austin Chronicle, June 7, 2002] "There's more to the month than the poster." - Dick Holland, former curator of the Southwestern Writers Collection at Southwest Texas State University and Chronicle contributor That was 1998, on the eve of the Month's fifth year, and Holland was being quoted by Books Editor Clay Smith about the Poster for a story on the Month and its legacy. Catching a glimpse of the Texas Writers Month poster - designed by Marc English of Marc English Design, it's always iconic, always classy - is the closest most Austinites will get to...View the rest of this entry.

People to Watch in 2002Marc English: Ironing Out the Irony [Graphic Design USA, January 2002] Once a Scout, always a Scout. I made it to Second Class when, in Junior High, I moved on to the path of discovering the strange ways of the opposite sex, earning other merit badges. Not only do I remember the Scout Oath, but also, their motto: Be Prepared. When on airplanes, we're told to be sure we know where the exits are in case of a hasty exit. Preparation for an "exit strategy." Playing ball, it's always good to know how many outs there are, who's at bat,...View the rest of this entry.

Forbes' Best of the WebBest of the Web Pick: Site59.Com Category: General Travel By Nicole Ridgway [February 12, 2001] Travel is one area of Web commerce that continues to expand, with more than $12.2 billion in online bookings last year. In June United, American, Delta, Northwest and Continental airlines plan to launch Orbitz, a Web-based flight-booking company. If approved, it could ground many of the shakier travel booking sites. With competition heating up, travel sites are racing to offer customers more bells and whistles. However, with thousands of travel-related sites out there, it's easy to waste time trying to be your own travel agent....View the rest of this entry.

Life's Enriched Pageantby Wayne Allan Brenner [The Austin Chronicle, September 8, 2000] Marc English, rock star. That's the impression you get after only a few minutes with him. The boldness and certainty with which he talks, with which he moves, the way he proceeds through a series of intricately linked jump-cuts while rhapsodizing about his work and the work of respected others. He's enthusiasm embodied, this tall guy in denim pants and white shirt, and his energy is backed up with a deep knowledge of design and its history. He's had classes in it (BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art), he's...View the rest of this entry.

Designing ManMarc English draws career in design Cindy Royal, special to the Austin Business Journal [August 18, 2000] When you look at the Coca-Cola logo, what comes to mind? Youth? Energy? Thirst? When you see the Nike swoosh, do you have a sudden urge to "Just Do It"? And does it seem like those golden arches are like a beacon beckoning you to the counter for a burger or fries? The power of imagery is all around us. Some firms spend millions of dollars to come up with the right combination of color and style that will relay the proper message...View the rest of this entry.

El Via Del Brujo DisenoAustin Designer First from U.S. to Participate in Guatemala's First National Design Conference [Austin, TX, July 1999] Marc English, principal of Marc English Design, became the first American designer to participate in Guatemala's first national design conference, Conferencia ReDiseno. Aside from leading workshops ("The Way of the Design Shaman: the Ecstatic Experience in the Creative Process") and giving the closing lecture ("A Means to an End: Identity & Graphic Design as a Business Strategy"), English also took his years of experience teaching (MassArt, NESAD, Southwest Texas State U.) and lead a discussion regarding education at Guatemala's Universidad Rafeal Landivar. Held...View the rest of this entry.

Graphic Design America Two: The work of many of the best and brightest design firms from across the United States[Rockport Publishers, 1997] Marc English's visual language is best described as eclectic: Equally comfortable with clients of commerce or culture, his design vocabulary is steeped in history and story; Modernism and vernacular, precision and punk. The former Bostonian balances each while working with a variety of clients, infusing corporate work with spirit and pro bono work with marketing savvy. A writer once stated, "What makes English's work so successful is that he has managed to harness the tongue-in-cheek humor of postmodernism while omitting the clutter and smugness too often found in contemporary design." English's studies documenting Native American petroglyphs led...View the rest of this entry.